An inside look at following Jesus, starting a new church, and the craziness that is my life...

2.19.2008

Accused...

Anytime I'm driving and I see a cop car I automatically hit the brakes. Regardless of whether I'm speeding or not, that is my initial reaction - every time - without exception. And anytime a policeman or highway patrolman is following me I feel like I have to watch my every move - like they know of some random law that I have never even heard of and are just waiting on the right moment for me to mess up so they can hit the lights and write the ticket. Do you ever feel that way?

Late last week and during the weekend I was struggling. Every now and then I let the devil get the best of me with his accusations. I allow the accuser to bring up mistakes and mess ups from my past that are long gone...And I lose focus and begin to feel accused. I know that the sins have been forgiven and I know that the mistakes are in the past. I am fully confident that Jesus has not only forgiven me but removed those sins as far as the east is from the west...But I still let the devil win sometimes...It's kind of like driving with a guilty conscience just because you've got a speeding ticket in the past.

But the cool thing about God is he knew stuff like this would trip us up. He knew we'd have these days...So he talked about it in his Word. There is this cool story in John 8 where these religious nuts and community leaders bring a woman whose been caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. They throw her in front of Jesus, treating her like the trash that they believe she is. After all, she's nothing but a sinner, right? They demand that Jesus respond to her sin and deal with her accordingly. And the cool thing is, he does. He looks the guys in the face and tells them that if they can honestly say that they are without sin, then feel free to judge this woman and even stone her. But Jesus knows they don't stand a chance. He knows they're just like the rest of us and have messed up time and time again...After her accusers drift off one by one, Jesus looks at the woman and says these words: "Woman, where are your accusers? Does no one condemn you?" She responds by saying, "No one." And then Jesus tells her this: "Neither do I. Go and leave your life of sin."

Jesus was far more concerned with where her future was headed than with where her past had been. He was more focused on the change that would take place in the woman rather than the times she had messed up in the past...

What a great reminder for those days when the devil acts like the accuser and trys to make us lose our focus and passion by bringing up our mistakes from the past. In God's eyes, it has been dealt with. There's no need to go through life driving like your guilty when your ticket's been paid for, taken care of, and completely removed from the system...So the next time you're feeling accused by things from your past, realize the source of the accusation and then turn your focus to the One whose dealt with your past and still has great plans for your future...